“Benzoselenophene” as a kind of compound containing selenium (Se) at an aromatic ring is a substance having a similar structure to that of indole, benzothiophene, and benzofuran. A “selenophene-fused aromatic compound” herein refers to benzoselenophene, pyridoselenophene, thiazoloselenophene, furanoselenophene, and the like. That is, the benzoselenophene is a substance included in the “selenophene-fused aromatic compound”. The selenophene-fused aromatic compound including the benzoselenophene is a highly applicable material in various fields. However, according to a conventional technology, it is not easy to synthesize derivatives thereof. Thus, it has been difficult to use the selenophene-fused aromatic compound as an intermediate or a material of drugs or as a material having a semiconducting property.
A lot of synthesis methods of indole or benzothiophene structurally similar to the benzoselenophene have already been developed, and the indole and benzothiophene have reached commercialization as medicines for various diseases, such as anticancer drugs, hormone replacement drugs, immunomodulators, diet pills, anti-diabetic drugs, and the like. The benzoselenophene is expected to be highly effective in preventing cancer due to the similarity in structure with the indole or benzothiophene and availability thereof as a photochemotherapeutic agent used for treating achromoderma or psoriasis has been highly valued. However, it has not reached commercialization due to lack of development of a synthesis method.
Some methods for synthesizing derivatives of the selenophene-fused aromatic compound including the benzoselenophene have been known. By way of example, they are disclosed in “Substituted benzodithiophenes and benzodiselenophenes (Korean Patent Laid-open Publication No. 10-2009-0033909), etc. However, if benzodithiophene derivatives are synthesized by using the conventionally known methods, the benzodithiophene derivatives can be synthesized through multiple reactions. In particular, as for a derivative containing a substituent at an aromatic site of benzoselenophene, a kind of derivative which can be synthesized is very limited.